The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and a product produced by the manufacturing method. In particular, the present invention relates to methods of making surgical instruments and prostheses.
Surgical instruments and prostheses are typically formed from a relatively small number of materials, which are selected for their properties, including biocompatibility, strength and resilience. Typical materials include metals such as stainless steel and plastics. The chosen materials, and the methods by which the instruments are formed, vary according to the particular function of the instrument or prosthesis.
It is a common requirement of surgical instruments and prostheses that they are provided with markings to aid their use by surgeons. Markings may include gauge lines, numerals, letters or any other form of symbol. For components formed from plastic it is known to form markings by applying dyes or paints to the surface of the instrument, or into recesses within the surface. Alternatively, markings may be etched onto the instrument. Such additional processing steps increase the cost of manufacturing surgical instruments. Additionally, the markings produced may be prone to damage during cleaning, which may make the instrument or prosthesis hard to clean.
It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to obviate or mitigate one or more of the problems associated with the prior art, whether identified herein or elsewhere.